Wheeled support for outboard motors



Nov. 8, 1955 1. J. ANDREWS 2,723,130

WHEELED SUPPORT FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed Oct- 2 1 2 2 Sheets-Sheet 1frz/z'zzg J Andre W5 BY Nov. 8, 1955 l. J. ANDREWS 2,723,130

WHEELED SUPPORT FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed Oct. 27, 1952 2 SheetsSheet 2[n Van for United States Patent 2,723,130 I WHEELED SUPPORT FOR OUTBOARDMOTORS Irving J. Andrews, Derby, Conn.

Application October 27, 1952, Serial No. 317,127

3 Claims. (Cl. 280-4719) The present invention relates to a supportforoutboard motors, and more particularly to a support for the type ofoutboard motor having a gasoline container separate from the motor unititself.

Supports, stands, and handtrucks for outboard motors usually have beenfashioned similar to the well known utility trucks. With the advent ofheavy duty outoard motors however, having a separate gasoline supply'container, handtrucks which cannot accommodate the outboard motor andthe gasoline can as well, could not transport the whole outboard motorequipment as a unit. Furthermore, the weight of these heavy dutyoutboard motors made the upright type of truck or carrier difiicult touse and cumbersome to handle over rough or bumpy surfaces; andconsiderable physical effort on part of the user of the device wasnecessary to keep the motorin balance.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an outboard motorsupport which can accommodate the motor as well as a separate gasolinesupply container.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an outboard motorsupport which, when fitted with Wheels,

becomes a hand truck on which the outboard motor and the gasoline supplycontainer can be pulled, rather than carried, thereby decreasing theeffort necessary to use the hand truck. I

It is still another object to provide a handtruck for outboard motorswhich permits the motor to be mounted in such a position that the centerof gravity is relatively low, thereby improving the balance of loadedtruck, so that the motor can be pulled over ruts and bumps with aminimum of effort and no danger of tipping.

According to the present invention I provide a support for use withoutboard motors, which comprises a substantially horizontal base, whichmay be provided with one or more wheels to make the supportreadilymovable. Generally upwardly extending support means are secured to thebase, preferably in the form of a pair of frame members. A motormounting block is then secured to the upwardly extending support means,located substantially centrally of the base and extending thereacross.Preferably it is mounted adjacent its ends on the pair of frame members,spanning the space between them. i

The support is preferably provided with an elongated handle so that itsmovements may be easily controlled. The frame may be formed of tubularsteel, and be substantially rectangular in shape. The wheels are thenmounted along the sides of the frame, a single pair at opposed cornersbeing sufiicient.

A further stiffening member may be provided to interconnect the pair offrame members of the upwardly extending support means. This stiffeningmember may be of tubular steel and it is preferably removable to permitfree access to the upper side of the support sothat a gasoline supplycontainer may be placed thereon. This stiffening member may be providedwith a connection means to connect to a boat trailer, as is well knownin the art and the outboard motor truck can then be used as a dolly. Thetruck thereby becomes both a dolly for a boat, and a moving unit for anoutboard motor, or both together.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional features, objects, and advantagesthereof, will best be understood from the following description ofspecific embodiments, when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in whichi' Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the outboard motorcarrier equipped with wheels to form a hand truck;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the carrier with an outboard motor and gasolinecan placed thereon, lifted for movement;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the carrier in use as a dolly, assembledto a boat trailer;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the carrier, in perspective, showing thestilfening member and the dolly connection;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear end view of the carrier; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to Fig. l; the outboardmotor support is built on a base 1, which preferably is made of tubularsteel, the members of which are welded together. However, the base mayalso be made as a solid platform, a grille, or other suitable shape, orarrangement. As shown, the base consists of a substantially U-shapedframe member 2, to which a hollow cross piece 3 is welded, which servesas a journal for the axle for wheels 4 and 5. A further cross piece 6 isplaced across the legs of the U to provide additional rigidity, and asupport point for a handle 7, which is shown secured to cross piece 6 bymeans of a bolt and wing nut connection 8. A similar bolt and wing nutassembly holds the handle secured to the U-frame member 2.

Centrally between the wheels, an upstanding pin 10 is located (hereshown secured to the handle, for example by welding). This pin 10 isdesigned to fit a recess in the gasoline supply can for the motor, asshown at 11 (Fig. 2). The gasoline can, forming no part of theinvention, is not further described. It is kept from sliding olf thebase by the engagement of pin 10 and recess 11.

The handle is further provided with a downwardly projecting leg 12,which serves as a stop to keep the base both level and above ground. Leg12 is equipped with a rubber bumper 13, oralternatively, a small wheel,skids, or the like may be used. This leg may also be secured to the Uframe member 2 directly.

The outboard motor, generally indicated by 14, is mounted on the supportby means of a mounting block 15, against which it is clamped. Themounting block 15 is secured to a pair of frame support members 16, 18,which are secured to the U frame member 2, for example by welding. Thesesupport members 16, 18, likewise may be made of tubular steel and aregenerally of the shape of an inverted U. Alternatively they may be solidpanels, corrugated strip metal or the like. The mounting block 15 isfastened securely to the support members 16, 18, and thereby gives thewhole motor support assembly the necessary rigidity. The inclination ofthe mounting block with respect to the base (referring especially toFig. 2) is not critical since most outboard motors are equipped withadjustable clamps to vary the inclination of their support clamps withrespect to the longitudinal axis of the motor thereby making it possibleto mount the motor in such a manner that it is in substantiallyhorizontal position when the truck is in use. However, it should beobserved that the mounting block is placed rearwardly of the wheels.When the handtruck is picked up-wheelbarrow fashionthe motor will thenbe in substantial balance over the wheels, and only a small force willbe necessary to hold it steady and to keep the carrier from tippinglengthwise. The block 15 may also be mounted slidably on members 16 and18, for example by means of U bolts, if desired. By making handle 7relatively long with respect to the distance between the mounting blockand the wheels-taken over a horizontal projection-rand shown as d inFig. 2, the leverage thereby obtained will further aid the operator inusing the device with a minimum of effort. A modified form of handle,designed to fit easily into an automobile, is shown at 7a, Figs. 3 and4.

A single support for the mounting block 15 bridging the framelengthwise, or crosswise, may also be used, if care is taken to providea rigid attachment to the frame. However, since assembling the gasolinesupply can to the support will then be difiicult in view of the wheels,an arrangement wherein the mounting block is secured to support membersand forms a bridge-like member over the gasoline supply container ispreferred.

Figs. 3 to 6 illustrate a modification of the outboard motor support. Astiffening bar 20, preferably formed of tubular steel, extends acrossthe support members 16, 18, near the lower, forward ends thereof. Thestiffening bar 20, is preferably removably mounted, for example bywelding a pair of short pipe stubs, or sockets 22, 24 to the supportmembers 16, 18, into which the stiffening member 20 may be inserted.(See Figs. and 6.) This stiffening bar 20 may be equipped with aconnector for use with a boat trailer (as shown in Fig. 3), when it isdesired to use the hand truck as a boat dolly. The boat trailers, aspresently manufactured, are usually equipped with a socket, to connectto a dolly, in order to provide universal pivoting and tilting movement.A trailer of this type is shown at 25, provided with a ball socket 26. Ashort stub plate is welded on the stiffening member, as at 27, andprovided with a connector ball 28, to fit into the socket 26. Stitfeningbar 20 also serves as a stop for the gasoline can, and in such aconstruction, pin 10 may be omitted.

Wheels 4 and 5 are not strictly necessary, and may be replaced by skids,or left off altogether, if a stand only is desired, for example fordisplay purposes.

The use of the device is as follows: with the leg 12 and the bumper 13resting on the ground, the motor 14 is clamped to the mounting block.The gasoline supply container is then slipped between the supportmembers 16, 18. stiffening member may then be placed in sockets 22 and24 (the gasoline can then being prevented from sliding off), and atrailer 25 connected to the ball 28. The handle 7 is then picked up.This will bring the mounting block closer over the wheels 4 and 5. Theonly effort to hold the motor support in balance will then be reduced bythe leverage of the relatively long handle, as determined by the ratioof the distance from the wheels to the extremity of the handle, to thedistance d in Fig. 2. This latter distance being small, the force issmall as well. Further, since the center of gravity of the loaded truckis comparatively low, any unbalance can be corrected by applying only asmall force to the handle (reduced by the leverage). Addition of thetrailer will not seriously disturb this relationship; on the contrary,the additional weight, placed low and close'to the wheels, will tend toincrease the stability of the assembly as a whole.

Since the center of gravity is comparatively low and not too far removedfrom the wheels 4 and 5, the stability against sidewise tipping of theloaded carrier will be good. If the weight of a full gasoline can isadded, the carrier can be tipped sideways for over 30 degrees withouttipping over.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofcarriers for various articles, difiering from the types described above.While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in asupport, or hand truck for outboard motors, it is not intended to belimited to the details shown, since various modifications and structuralchanges may be made. By applying current knowledge the invention,including the features that fairly constitute essential characteristicsof the generic or specific aspects thereof, may be adapted to variousapplications; and such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A support for use with outboard motors, comprising a base; a pair ofspaced unitary support members secured to said base, each located in aplane extending generally perpendicularly with respect to said base,each unitary support member being formed with a generally upwardlyextending portion, a portion inclined with respect to the plane of thebase, and a downwardly extending portion; and a motor mounting block oflesser width than the length of the inclined portion, extending acrossthe space between said unitary support members and secured to saidsupport members at said portion inclined with respect to the base.

2. A hand truck for outboard motors comprising a base; a pair of spacedsupport members secured to said base, each located in a plane extendinggenerally perpendicularly with respect to said base, each support memberhaving a generally upwardly extending portion, a portion inclined withrespect to the plane of the base, and a downwardly extending portion; anelongated motor mounting block secured to said support members at theportion inclined with respect to the base to span the space between'saidsupport members and interconnect the same; a pair of wheels located atopposed corners along the base, each of the generally upwardly extendingportions of the support members being secured to the base adjacent saidopposed corners; a pair of sockets, each secured to an upwardlyextending portion of the support members, and a stiffening member havingprojecting portions removably fitting into said sockets and connectingsaid upwardly extending portions together.

3. A hand truck according to claim 2, for additional use with gasolinesupply cans, of commercial manufacture, located on the base, wherein thesockets are secured to the upwardly extending portion adjacent the endsof said portions and the stiffening member removably connects saidportions together above the plane of the base and at a height which isless than the height of the gasoline supply can, whereby the stiffeningmember will form a removable gate preventing accidental removal of thegasoline supply can from the base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS344,684 Sherer June 29, 1886 521,196 Warner et al June 12, 18941,027,896 Pugsley May 28, 1912 2,028,133 Bowers Jan. 2, 1936 2,313,868Garlinghouse Mar. 16, 1943 2,380,017 Blicker July 10, 1945 2,390,704George Dec. 11, 1945 2,484,227 Houck et al. Oct. 11, 1949 2,484,677 BinzOct. 11, 1949 2,499,458 Campbell Mar. 7, 1950 2,620,201 Brady Dec. 2,1952

